AN EMPTY Bradford shop has been turned into a grotto by students to present an alternative Christmas message as part of an art project.

The Grotto Winter Adventure has converted the former Boots store on Bank Street into a gallery to show the work of 45 students from the visual communications degree course at Leeds College of Art.

The building will be open for three days and will feature a number of works including animation, film, craft, printmaking, photography, illustration and graphic design.

It will feature a photo booth and a mock living room where people can play games. The shop’s area has been split up into sections including a woodland, nature and the magic of Christmas.

It also features Christmas crackers containing festive messages from a homeless person.

The students, aged between 20 and 58, have spent the last three weeks completing their work to go on display. They have also converted the empty space into an art gallery themselves.

Marianne Springham, senior lecturer at Leeds College of Art, said: “It is about seeing Christmas from a different perspective. There is a lot of diverse work.

“It questions what Christmas means to people. It also looks at social issues at Christmas including homelessness and loneliness.

“This project gives the students an opportunity to work in a space.

“The work is designed for Bradford and for this space.

“It can give people a break from shopping and they can just pop in.”

One of the students taking part, Charlie Johnson, 20, from Wibsey, has created a hand-drawn animation showing a shop assistant working over Christmas. She said: “It’s been different doing this. It’s good that I am showing my family and friends what I’m doing. It makes me more proud that I am doing it in Bradford too.”

The grotto will be open this Thursday between 3pm and 7pm, Friday from 10am and 4pm and Saturday from 10am and 3pm. Entrance is free. The Boots store on Bank Street was one of many left empty as chains relocated to the new Broadway shopping centre last year.

But after almost a year lying empty, it is about to be transformed into a hub for artists and members of the public who want to take time out of their day and get creative. Known as Boots Rebooted, the unit will act as a space where artists can show off their work, as well as a “chilled zone” where the public can take part in arts and crafts events to unwind.

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